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Prof. Foluke Unuabonah of Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun has called on governments at all levels to extend research support to private universities across the country.
Unuabonah, a Professor of Linguistics and Discourse Analysis, made the appeal on Wednesday while delivering the 22nd inaugural lecture of the university in Ede.
The lecture, titled “From Text to Context: Advancing Corpus Pragmatics in the Nigerian English Environment,” examined the role of corpus pragmatics in understanding Nigerian English.
She argued that since private institutions and their staff paid taxes, and contributed significantly to national development, they should be eligible for research grants.
The professor also advocated allowing faculty members in private universities to serve as lead investigators in TETFund-funded projects.
She noted that such inclusion would significantly enhance research development in Nigeria.
“After all, private universities pay taxes, train Nigerian students, and contribute meaningfully to national development.
“Supporting their research endeavours is, therefore, an investment in the country’s growth and development,” she said.
Unuabonah further called for the inclusion of corpus linguistics as a course at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels in departments of English and Linguistics.
According to her, corpus linguistics offers vast opportunities for scholars and provides a systematic approach to language study.
She explained that corpus linguistics is regarded both as a field of study and a research methodology.
“It is already evident from existing studies that Nigerian indigenous languages significantly influence Nigerian English.
“Departments of linguistics across Nigeria should therefore take the lead in compiling corpora of indigenous languages such as Igbo and Hausa.
“This will not only support language preservation but also enhance the understanding of pragmatic and other linguistic features that shape Nigerian English as a whole,” the don said.
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